


it's always darkest before the dawn

by superhusbands4ever (Potterwatch97)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Avengers 4 AU, Avengers 4 Spoilers, Avengers Endgame Spoilers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), based on the trailer, i know it sounds like character death but it's not i swear, the first part is sad, the second part is better i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 02:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16904658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potterwatch97/pseuds/superhusbands4ever
Summary: Tony had always known that being Iron Man was going to kill him one day. He'd come to terms with that. He'd accepted it. It was a part of the job of being a superhero.He just never thought it was going to be from lack of food, water, and oxygen while floating aimlessly on some dead guy's spaceship through an unnamed galaxy with a blue and purple robot alien.





	it's always darkest before the dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this is less of a "fix-it" and more a prediction of what I think might happen with Tony. Or at least, what I want to happen lol
> 
> I promise there is no character death in this and I promise the second half is happier. Scouts honor.

Tony closed his eyes and pressed his forehead more firmly against the cool glass of the Benatar. Light flared behind his eyelids as the ship turned toward the sun that lit up the galaxy they were in. His stomach grumbled painfully and he wrapped his arm tighter around himself and brought his legs up closer to him, curling up in a ball against the window pane.

Six months. It’d be six months since the others had died. Four months since they had gotten the ship into the air. Two months since they had run out of fuel and started drifting aimlessly through space. They were running low on food and water, and he didn’t even want to think about how long they had until they ran out of oxygen. It was only by rationing their food and water that they had made it this long. Thankfully Nebula didn’t need as much to survive, but once again Tony’s very human body was working against him. Where Nebula could go a couple weeks without food and drink, Tony could only go a few days.

His stomach rumbled and cramped again. He had eaten yesterday. Tomorrow he’d be able to eat again.

At least he had that to look forward to.

He opened his eyes and looked out into the space around them. He had been dreaming and having nightmares about space for years, but being here… drifting aimlessly, hoping for a savior but waiting for death, he couldn’t help but think it was beautiful. The way the colors mixed together. The infinite, endless sea of stars. You could never see something like this on Earth.

He wasn’t afraid anymore. Not of the stars. The stars couldn’t hurt him now.

Not anymore than he already hurt.

He heard movement behind him as Nebula came back into the cockpit. He felt her stop behind him and could feel her eyes resting on him for a couple minutes before she finally spoke.

“How long can humans go without food and water before death?” She asked quietly.

“A week I think, at absolute most. Probably between five and seven days.”

He heard her shuffle her feet a bit before she spoke again, much gentler this time.

“After you eat tomorrow… you’re going to have to cut back. Eat every third day instead of the second. Water should last longer so long as the waste filtration systems keep. I’m cutting back too. I did the math, it should make the food last a couple more months.”

He thought about the pain in his stomach. The dryness of his throat. He swallowed heavily and nodded, but kept his eyes on the abyss before him.

“I’m sorry,” she said, leaning forward to touch his shoulder lightly.

“Not your fault,” Tony said, his voice raspy from lack of water and use. “Actually, biologically speaking, the human body is rather vulnerable when you think about it. If anything it’s biology’s fault. Did you know a human can drown in just a tablespoon of water?”

Nebula said nothing, but moved over to take a seat in the pilot’s chair. She examined his face closely. The way the light cast on his face accentuated the gauntness of his cheekbones. His hair had lost it’s curl and was lying flat against his head. His beard had filled out from his intricate shape and was now full. She could see the sockets of his eyes. He’d lost some muscle mass and his arms and legs were skinnier now than they were on Titan. His forehead was shiny with sweat. 

If what he said about human biology was right, she wondered how long he’d really be able to survive, living like this. She just knew it wasn’t as long as she was hoping it’d be.

She followed his gaze out into the wide space before them. Watched the sun as the Benatar crossed in front of it. The light hurt her one natural eye, but she couldn’t look away.

“I’m sorry about your sister.”

Nebula turned to look at him once more, but he refused to meet her eye. She lifted an eyebrow at him, knowing he would see it.

“I just-” his voice broke, and he swallowed, trying to gather moisture in his throat, “I realized I never said it. Gamora, right? Star Lord was looking for her, too.”

“Yes,” she said, examining Tony’s eyes closely. He wasn’t looking at her, but she could see they were glassy. His face was blank, his eyes looking without seeing.

He may have been looking out the window, but he was seeing something only in his own memory.

“I’m sorry about your son,” she said in return.

For just a flash of a second his face filled with anguish before it was gone again. It was the most emotion she’d seen from him in a while. He lifted a hand to wipe at his eye before the wetness had the chance to gather and fall. 

“Thanks.”

“What was his name?”

She sat in silence for a few minutes before realizing he either didn’t hear her or he simply wasn’t going to answer. She went to turn back to her stargazing.

“Peter,” he whispered. “His name was Peter.”

She looked at him for a moment before nodding and turning back to the window. They sat in silence for a long time before she finally spoke again.

“We’ll get out of this,” she said quietly. “We’ll get back to Earth. Somehow.”

This time he didn’t bother answering her. She didn’t blame him.

She didn’t really believe her own words either.

* * *

_Three months later_

_“Hey, Ms. Potts…”  
_

She could hear him in the cockpit, recording a message in his helmet. Potts. The woman he loved. He was supposed to marry her, she thought. She couldn’t really remember. With no food and water in four days (and even longer since she’d last had any) it was getting hard to think about anything these days.

She knew this moment was supposed to be private and she didn’t want to listen. She turned to go back to her bunk, to leave Tony in peace and wait for morning to come and take them away from their suffering. To let Tony say his goodbyes.

She didn’t have anyone left to say goodbye to. He deserved this moment alone, at least. She’d be with him in the end anyway.

“ _If you find this recording… don’t feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end….”_

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [tumblr](http://superhusbands4ever.tumblr.com/)! Or my new [twitter](https://twitter.com/superhusbands41)! I have some new (not at all Infinity War or Avengers 4 related) fic coming soon!


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